It was Sunday.
I woke up early, as usual, laced up my shoes, and finished my workout before the city fully stirred. The air felt lighter than usual. Maybe because Tet was only a day away. Maybe because something in my heart already knew this would be a full day, not just physically, but emotionally too.
After spending the morning with my family, I opened my laptop and prepared for the final batch of UWC scholarship interviews.
Forty-one panel interviews the past 2 weeks.
One day before Tet.
And somehow, it felt exactly right.
The Long Road to UWC Selection Day
Seven months ago, this journey began.
We sat together, designing the application questions carefully. We debated wording, refined criteria, asked ourselves over and over: What kind of students are we really looking for?
Not just the smartest.
Not just the most accomplished.
But the ones with a seed of giving back.
The United World Colleges mission has always been clear. Education is not just about achievement. It is about using education as a force to unite people, cultures, and nations for a peaceful and sustainable future.
As a Pearson College alumna, I carry that experience in my bones. My years at United World Colleges shaped the way I see the world. It shifted my path. It expanded my heart.
So volunteering for UWC scholarships in Vietnam is not just “work.” It is personal.
Volunteering When Life Is Already Full
Everyone on our panel is busy.
Tung and I both juggle demanding careers. Khoa is a doctor who somehow still finds time to volunteer year after year. Matt, a teacher at UWC East Africa, has supported the Vietnamese National Committee for over a decade.
Why do we keep showing up?
For Tung and me, it is giving back to the privilege we received.
For Khoa, it is the values that continue to inspire him.
For Matt, it is the unwavering belief that education can unite people.
We completed 41 interviews in the past 2 weeks. No complaints. No shortcuts.
These students are talented. Driven. Bright beyond their years.
But during interviews, we asked something deeper:
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Where does your desire to give back come from?
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If given this opportunity, how will you use it?
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Who benefits from your growth?
Some answers were crystal clear. You could see the spark. The responsibility. The gratitude.
Some were less certain. Still forming. Still growing.
And that is okay.
Because at 16 or 17, clarity is still a work in progress.
But as judges, making life-changing decisions for these students feels heavy. Honored. Sacred.
After Tet, we will meet to decide who receives scholarships and offers to different UWC schools across the globe. Then we will guide them through visa applications, logistics, preparation.
Their future will unfold in new countries, new languages, new communities.
A new chapter that might change the course of their lives.
And honestly, it gives me so much hope.
If this next generation receives global education grounded in empathy and responsibility, imagine what they could build for Vietnam.
A Quick Ride Before Dinner
After the last interview at 5 PM, we had a quick team sync. We were tired, but smiling.
Then I hopped on my indoor bike for a 30-minute sprint session.
Fast cadence. High heart rate. Legs burning.
It felt like releasing everything the day had carried.
Sport has always been my way of processing emotions. After heavy conversations, after difficult decisions, I move. I sweat. I breathe.
By the time I stepped off the bike, I felt lighter again.
And then I joined my family for dinner.
Our Family Tradition of Giving Back Before Tet
Every year before Tet, my mother gathers a list.
She quietly asks around the neighborhood. Who is struggling? Who cannot afford basic needs for the holiday?
Then we visit them.
We bring small gifts. Food. Essentials. Sometimes money. Nothing extravagant. But enough to ease the pressure.
This tradition has been part of my life for as long as I can remember.
When I was very young, we did not have much. Yet my parents still shared food with neighbors who had even less. I remember watching my mother portion out rice carefully, ensuring everyone had something.
That was the first time I understood what giving back really meant.
It is not about abundance.
It is about intention.
The House with the Plastic Roof
This year, we visited five families.
Cancer. Mental health struggles. Extreme poverty. Each home carried its own story.
One family stays with me deeply.
A father with cancer.
Two children struggling with mental health.
The mother had passed away.
When we walked in, the father was lying on a simple bed, trying to sit up to greet us. The house was dim. The roof was made of thin plastic sheets that looked like they could fly away in strong wind.
The light inside was so weak I could barely see his face.
There was no complaint in his voice. Only quiet dignity.
As we walked home afterward, my mother gently said, “We are very lucky.”
Gratitude Is Not Passive
Gratitude is not just feeling thankful.
It is recognizing your position in the world and asking, “Now what?”
We are lucky to have education.
Lucky to have stable families.
Lucky to have health.
So what do we do with that luck?
That was the same question we were asking UWC candidates earlier that day.
Opportunity is powerful. But opportunity without responsibility can become entitlement.
And I believe this is something our generation must confront honestly.
Have you ever stopped and asked yourself how much of your life is built on invisible support systems? Family. Teachers. Society. Privilege you did not earn, but inherited?
That realization can feel uncomfortable.
But it can also become fuel.
The Seed of Giving Back
When I reflect on the day, two images stand out:
The hopeful faces of students dreaming of global education.
The dimly lit house with the plastic roof.
Two different worlds.
Both real. Both present.
The UWC scholarship process is about opening doors for students who will hopefully create impact in the future.
Our family Tet visits are about responding to suffering that exists right now.
Both are forms of giving.
One invests in potential.
One eases immediate pain.
And both require intention.
What Education Really Gave Me
Studying at UWC did not just give me academic knowledge.
It gave me perspective.
Living with students from dozens of countries forced me to question assumptions. It taught me how to listen. It showed me that leadership is not dominance, but service.
It also made me more aware of inequality.
When you see how differently people grow up, you cannot unsee it.
That awareness follows you home.
And maybe that is why days like this feel so meaningful.
Because giving back is not a side activity. It is an extension of who you become when education shapes your worldview.
A Question for Ourselves
We often talk about success.
Career growth. Financial milestones. Achievements.
But what if we measured success differently?
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How many people did we uplift?
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How often did we show up for something bigger than ourselves?
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How did we use our privilege?
These are uncomfortable metrics. They are not easily posted on LinkedIn.
But they matter.
Especially as we enter a new year.
Optimistic for Vietnam’s Future
After interviewing dozens of young people this year, I feel hopeful.
They are aware.
They are thoughtful.
They care about climate change, mental health, inequality, education access.
They ask difficult questions.
If given the right exposure and global education, I truly believe they can make massive impact.
That optimism stayed with me as I sat at the dinner table, listening to my parents discuss which families we would visit next year.
Change happens at multiple levels.
In international classrooms.
In small neighborhood houses.
In quiet family decisions.
The Energy of a Day Well Spent
By the time I lay in bed that night, my body was tired.
But my heart felt full.
A day of giving is not always glamorous. It can be emotionally heavy. It can remind you of harsh realities.
But it also reconnects you to what matters.
Presence.
Service.
Gratitude.
As Tet approaches, I am not just thinking about decorations or celebrations.
I am thinking about responsibility.
Because luck is not evenly distributed. But kindness can be.